Instagram Joins Facebook, Meta, Messenger, Nordstorm, Pinterest, Threads In Becoming Most Invasive Applications For Southeast Asian Travellers

Published on September 13, 2025

By: Tuhin Sarkar

Instagram has now joined Facebook, Meta, Messenger, Nordstrom, Pinterest, and Threads successful becoming 1 of nan astir invasive applications for Southeast Asian travellers. These apps person agelong been portion of regular integer life, but arsenic they cod immense amounts of individual data, concerns complete privateness are growing. Instagram, for illustration Facebook and Messenger, gathers extended data, including location, individual preferences, and browsing habits. This accusation is often linked straight to users, raising privateness concerns, particularly for those successful Southeast Asia. With these apps now dominating nan region, it’s important for travellers to understand nan level of information postulation and really it impacts their privacy. As these applications proceed to grow their reach, nan consequence of individual information vulnerability only increases, making it basal for users to enactment informed and protect their privacy.

In today’s integer age, privateness has go 1 of nan astir discussed topics crossed nan globe. With nan accelerated maturation of societal media and mobile apps, nan magnitude of individual information being collected is expanding astatine an alarming rate. Apps are designed to make our lives easier, but really overmuch of our backstage accusation are we giving distant successful speech for convenience? This study delves into nan apical 10 astir invasive apps based connected nan number of information types collected, linked to users, and tracked, revealing alarming statistic connected nan rumor of information privacy.

What Makes an App Invasive?

Before we dive into nan details, it’s basal to understand what makes an app invasive. In elemental terms, an app is considered invasive erstwhile it collects ample amounts of individual information that users whitethorn not beryllium afloat alert of. This includes everything from location information to browsing habits, individual preferences, and moreover wellness information. Apps whitethorn besides nexus nan collected information straight to individual users, making nan accusation personally identifiable.

The level of invasiveness depends connected really galore types of information are collected, really overmuch of it is linked straight to nan user, and whether aliases not it is tracked crossed different platforms aliases for early use. Let’s research which apps apical nan database for being nan astir invasive.

1. Instagram and Facebook: The Tied Leaders successful Data Collection

Both Instagram and Facebook clasp nan apical spot successful nan database of nan astir invasive apps, pinch nan aforesaid information postulation and search scores. These platforms are owned by Meta and are profoundly integrated into millions of lives worldwide. According to nan data, some Instagram and Facebook cod a full of 32 types of data. Of these, 25 types are linked straight to users, meaning these platforms cognize a awesome woody astir their users. However, nan concerning portion is that some apps way 7 types of information crossed various services.

Why Are These Apps So Invasive?

Instagram and Facebook cod an extended scope of data, including location, instrumentality information, hunt history, individual preferences, interactions pinch different users, and more. Their business exemplary is chiefly based connected advertising, which requires them to way personification behaviour and preferences to target them pinch personalized ads. While these apps are free to use, users are paying pinch their data. The much accusation they collect, nan much valuable nan ads tin be, starring to higher profits for nan level owners.

2. Grab: Taxi Ride, Food Delivery – An App That Knows Your Every Move

Grab, a celebrated app utilized for taxi rides and nutrient transportation successful Southeast Asia, comes successful 3rd connected nan database pinch 27 types of information collected. Of this data, 8 types are straight linked to users, and 15 types are tracked. This app’s information postulation includes accusation specified arsenic real-time location, costs details, connection preferences, and more.

Why Is Grab So Invasive?

Grab’s business relies connected providing users pinch personalized services, for illustration recommending adjacent restaurants aliases ensuring nan quickest taxi routes. To do this, nan app needs to cod a wide scope of data, specified arsenic users’ precise location, costs information, and moreover their relationship pinch various offers. Grab besides monitors personification behaviour wrong nan app to supply much personalized suggestions, further linking users’ information to their individual identity.

3. Threads: Meta’s Latest Attempt to Gather More User Data

Threads, different app owned by Meta, claims nan 4th spot connected this list. Like Instagram and Facebook, Threads collects 32 types of data, pinch each 32 types linked straight to users. What sets Threads isolated is its method of search and collecting data, pinch 0 types of information tracked externally. This intends Threads gathers and uses information internally, but doesn’t nonstop it to different services for tracking.

Why Is Threads So Invasive?

Threads is designed to support users engaged successful semipermanent conversations and interactions, which intends it needs a heavy knowing of personification preferences, contented engagement, and connection styles. The app collects information from users to amended recommendations and heighten personification engagement, making it a highly invasive instrumentality for information collection.

4. Messenger: A Close Companion to Facebook and Instagram

Messenger, nan messaging app from Meta, besides ranks alongside Threads successful position of information invasiveness. It collects 32 types of data, each linked straight to users, but for illustration Threads, it doesn’t way information externally. The types of information linked to users see accusation connected your messaging habits, location, instrumentality used, and more.

Why Is Messenger So Invasive?

Messenger is chiefly utilized to pass pinch friends and family, but conscionable for illustration Facebook and Instagram, it gathers important amounts of information to heighten personification experience. It tracks your interactions and uses this accusation to propose friends, amended notifications, and supply personalized ads, each of which tin lend to a heightened level of surveillance and information tracking.

5. Meta Business Suite: A Business Tool With Extensive Data Collection

Meta Business Suite is simply a instrumentality designed for businesses to negociate their societal media accounts and advertisements. It ranks arsenic pinch Messenger and Threads successful position of information collection. Meta Business Suite collects 32 types of data, pinch 32 of those linked straight to users. However, nary of nan information collected by this app is tracked crossed outer platforms.

Why Is Meta Business Suite So Invasive?

The instrumentality is designed to thief businesses way their capacity crossed Meta’s platforms. To do this, it needs entree to a ample magnitude of personification data, including browsing activity, engagement pinch advertisements, and instrumentality information. While it’s chiefly utilized by businesses, nan grade of information postulation it engages successful whitethorn astonishment users who are unaware of nan imaginable for privateness violations.

6. Nordstrom Rack: Shop Deals – Data Collection to Enhance Shopping

Nordstrom Rack, a celebrated shopping app, ranks seventh connected nan database pinch 22 types of information collected. Of these, 4 types are linked straight to users, while 18 types are tracked crossed different services.

Why Is Nordstrom Rack So Invasive?

To supply users pinch personalized deals and offers, Nordstrom Rack collects a assortment of data, including shopping preferences, location, and instrumentality usage patterns. The app tracks users crossed aggregate platforms to service personalized advertisements, improving nan likelihood of a sale. While shopping apps whitethorn look harmless, they excessively are profoundly integrated into nan data-collection ecosystem.

7. Nordstrom: The Main Shopping Platform

The main Nordstrom app ranks conscionable beneath Nordstrom Rack pinch a somewhat little people of 22 information types collected, 5 of which are linked to users, while 17 are tracked. The app is designed to heighten nan shopping acquisition by offering users recommendations based connected their browsing and shopping habits.

Why Is Nordstrom So Invasive?

Just for illustration Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom uses information to supply personalized recommendations and amended personification engagement. The much information it collects, nan amended it tin foretell what you mightiness want to bargain next. This includes information connected your location, costs history, browsing habits, and overmuch more.

8. Pinterest: A Visual Discovery Engine That Tracks You

Pinterest, a level designed to thief users observe and prevention imaginative ideas, comes successful ninth connected nan database pinch 29 types of information collected. Out of this, 2 types are linked straight to users, and 6 are tracked crossed various services.

Why Is Pinterest So Invasive?

Pinterest is simply a ocular find motor that uses information to urge images, videos, and contented based connected your interests. By search your actions crossed different websites and platforms, Pinterest tin supply much tailored content, improving personification engagement but besides collecting much accusation than galore users whitethorn realize.

9. AE + Aerie: Retail Apps for Fashion Lovers

AE + Aerie, nan app utilized by American Eagle and Aerie stores, rounds retired nan database pinch 21 types of information collected. Of these, 3 types are linked to users, and 16 types are tracked crossed various platforms.

Why Is AE + Aerie So Invasive?

AE + Aerie collects a assortment of information to supply customers pinch personalized shopping experiences. This includes individual preferences, costs information, and browsing activity. While these apps purpose to heighten nan shopping experience, they besides cod a important magnitude of individual accusation that could beryllium utilized for targeted advertising.

The Implications of Data Collection

The expanding magnitude of individual information collected by apps has sparked concerns astir privateness and security. While galore apps declare to heighten personification acquisition done personalized services, nan reality is that overmuch of this information is being utilized for commercialized gain. Data is often shared pinch third-party advertisers, which tin lead to targeted ads and contented that whitethorn consciousness invasive aliases intrusive.

As users, it is basal to beryllium alert of nan apps we usage and nan accusation we are sharing. While immoderate information postulation is basal for app functionality, users should return nan clip to publication privateness policies and limit nan magnitude of individual accusation shared erstwhile possible.

Conclusion: The Need for Better Data Privacy

The database of nan astir invasive apps shows conscionable really overmuch individual information is being collected and tracked successful nan integer world. While galore apps supply valuable services, it’s important to enactment informed astir what information they cod and really it is used. As we proceed to trust connected these platforms for everything from connection to shopping, ensuring information privateness should beryllium a privilege for some users and app developers alike. By knowing nan grade of information collection, we tin make much informed decisions astir nan apps we usage and nan accusation we share.